Flat screen and mobile telephone with flat screen

ABSTRACT

A flat display for a mobile radio telephone or another autonomous electrical device, with a display surface on which information can be displayed. The display can be electrically controlled to make the entire display surface, or only a portion thereof, reflecting. Alphanumerical and/or advertising information can be displayed on the remaining, non-reflecting portion of the display surface. The mobile radio telephone can also be used as a practical pocket mirror. Advertisements and important information, for example service provider identifications, can be displayed particularly effectively on a reflecting background.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a national stage filing of InternationalApplication PCT/CH98/00376, filed on Sep. 2, 1998, the entire contentsof which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a flat display. In particular, thepresent invention relates to a flat display for an electricallyautonomous device, for example a mobile radio telephone.

2. Discussion of the Background

Mobile radio telephones are becoming more and more miniaturized, andtherefore can easily be taken along in a pocket or in a handbag. Thesame also applies for other portable electronic devices, such as, forexample, pocket calculators, laptops, palmtops, etc.

Described in the U.S. patent publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,224 is aradio-based communications device which is linked to a display on whichinformation can be displayed by the communications device. According tothe patent publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,224, the display can bebrought to show the information in a mirror surface behind a transparentwindow, or the display can be positioned in such a way that it projectsthe information on a portion of the mirror surface. Referred to,moreover, in the patent publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,224 is thepossibility that portions of the mirror surface are controllable from areflecting into a non-reflecting, transparent state, so that informationwhich is shown on the display, installed behind the mirror surface, arevisible on the front side of the mirror surface for the viewer.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore the object of this invention to provide a mobile radiotelephone with other functions, which are made use of again and againalso when en route.

According to this invention, this object is achieved through thefeatures of claim 1.

In particular, this object is achieved through a flat display which canbe controlled electrically so that the display surface can be madereflecting.

In this way the display of the device can also be used as a practicalpocket mirror.

The display can preferably be controlled electrically in order to becomereflecting when no information is being shown, in particular in standbymode. In another preferred variant of the invention, also only oneportion of the display surface can be made reflecting; informationand/or advertisements can be displayed on the remaining portion of thedisplay surface. In this way, the users can be made aware, in aneffective way, of important information and in particular of companynames and logos of service providers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood with the aid of the descriptionillustrated by the attached figures:

FIG. 1 shows a view from above of a mobile radio telephone with adisplay according to the invention controlled and used as a mirror.

FIG. 2 is a view from above of the same mobile telephone, where,however, one portion of the display is controlled as a mirror whileinformation is being shown on the remaining portion.

FIG. 3 is a view from above of the same mobile radio telephone, where,however, information is being shown on the entire display.

FIG. 4 is a very much enlarged section of a display according to theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a mobile radio telephone 1 in standby mode with a display10 according to the invention. The display 10 according to the inventionis controlled electrically by a display driver (not shown) in such a waythat it can be used as a reflecting mirror in which the user isreflected. The reflecting or non-reflecting mode of the display 10 canpreferably also be selected by the user with an operating element, forexample an operating key 120. Other functions of the mobile radiotelephone can also be actuated with other operating elements 12. Themobile radio telephone preferably further comprises an identificationcard 13, for example a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card, in orderto identify the user in a mobile radio network. The card 13 preferablycontains a processor (not shown), which can also control the display 10.The mobile radio telephone, or respectively the identification card, canpreferably receive short messages, for example SMS and/or USSD shortmessages, which are transmitted in the mobile radio network from anotherterminal, and with which the state of the display can also becontrolled.

FIG. 2 shows the same mobile radio telephone where only one portion ofthe display 10 is controlled as a mirror, however, while information isbeing displayed on the remaining portion. The display is controlled inthis state, for example, when a message comes in or when the service ofan external service provider, for example of a financial institution orof an information vendor, is availed of. Information, for exampleinformation about the selected service, in particular an identificationof the calling party or respectively of the service provider, forexample the call number, the name and/or the logo of this serviceprovider, is shown in this case over the reflecting background.

FIG. 3 shows the same mobile radio telephone in a state where the entiresurface of the display 10 is used for display of information.

FIG. 4 shows a section of a display according to the invention. Thedisplay 10 comprises a transparent outer layer 100 of non-reflectingglass or synthetic material, a foreground display layer 101 under theupper layer 100 with a first liquid crystal element, a backgrounddisplay layer 102 under the layer 101 with a second liquid crystalelement, a reflecting layer 103 under the layer 102 and a substrate 104under the reflecting layer 103.

The foreground display layer 101 comprises a conventional matrixdisplay, for example a passive or active liquid crystal element. Thelayer 101 is preferably constructed as a matrix display so that eachpixel can be individually controlled. If a first set of voltages isapplied by the display driver (not shown) to the electrodes (not shown)which control a pixel, this pixel takes on a first color, preferablyblack; if a second set of voltages is applied, preferably when zerovoltages are applied, this pixel becomes transparent so that the viewercan see the background layers 102 or 103. In a variant, the pixels cantake on another color or different levels of gray or shades of colorinstead of, or in addition to, black.

The background display layer 102 comprises a conventional matrixdisplay, for example a passive or active liquid crystal element, whichcan be changed electrically from a transparent state into anothercolored state, for example into a white state. The layer 102 ispreferably constructed as a matrix display so that each pixel can becontrolled to be transparent or white individually. The layer 102 ispreferably transparent when no voltage is being applied to theelectrodes. In a variant, the pixels can take on another color ordifferent levels of gray or shades of color instead of, or in additionto, white.

One skilled in the art will understand that the two display layers 101and 102, depending upon the liquid crystal technology applied, canconsist of several different layers, including, for example, severalelectrode layers, glass layers, liquid crystal layers, possiblypolarization layers, etc.

The layer 103 is made up, for example, of an aluminum film or of anotherreflecting metal, and reflects the light outwardly. The inner layer 104is a substrate, for example of metal or synthetic material, in order tomake the entire display more robust. The layers 103 and 104 can also bemade of synthetic material, for example if the display has to beflexible.

Information, for example text and/or pictures, are shown preferably inblack with the layer 101 over a white background 102, as illustrated inFIG. 3. When, however, the display layer 102 is transparent, informationcan be shown in black over a reflecting background, as shown in FIG. 2.When both layers 101 and 102 are transparent, preferably when no voltageis being applied, the viewer sees only the reflecting aluminum layer103, in which he can be reflected.

One skilled in the art will understand that the display according to theinvention does not have to be achieved with liquid crystal displays, butthat other types of flat matrix display technologies can also be appliedwithin the framework of this invention. More than two display layers 101and 102 can also be used in order to make possible colored displays ormore complex illustrations, for example. The number of pixels in eachlayer can be very different, depending upon the application, for examplebetween 30×30 to 1000×1280 pixels. It is also possible within theframework of this invention to use a background display layer 102 whichis not controlled as a matrix; in this case the entire layer is eithercolored (white) or transparent. The size and shape of the various layerscan be different for certain applications so that, for example, only oneportion of the display can be made reflecting. Depending upon appliedtechnology, each pixel of the background display layer 102 can bechanged from a second colored state —for example white—into a reflectingstate; in this case, the reflecting layer 103 becomes unnecessary. Thedisplay 10, in particular the reflecting layer 103, can also be concaveor convex in order to control the reflection angle.

The present invention makes it possible to use mobile devices with adisplay also as practical pocket mirrors. Moreover the device is givenan unusual and exclusive design. Finally, users can be made aware ofimportant or advertising information in a very effective way in thatthis information is displayed over a reflecting background.

1. A flat display for an electrically autonomous device on whichinformation is displayable and which is electrically controllable tobecome reflecting, comprising: a background display layer assemblyconfigured to be selectively changeable between a reflecting state and acolored, non-reflecting state based on electrical control signals, thebackground display layer assembly including, a background display layerconfigured to be selectively changeable between a transparent state anda colored state based on the electrical control signals, and areflecting layer; and a foreground display layer disposed over thebackground display layer and configured to be selectively changeablebetween a transparent state and a non-transparent state based on otherelectrical control signals, wherein, the flat display is configured toreceive at least one of the electrical control signals and the otherelectrical control signals from an identification card, and a reflectingstate of the flat display is remotely controllable.
 2. The flat displayaccording to claim 1, wherein the flat display is electricallycontrollable so that only a portion of said display becomes reflecting.3. The flat display according to claim 2, wherein at least one of textinformation and picture information is displayable on a remaining,non-reflecting portion of the display.
 4. The flat display according toclaim 1, wherein the reflecting layer is concave or convex.
 5. The flatdisplay according to claim 1, wherein said foreground display layerincludes a liquid crystal display.
 6. The flat display according toclaim 1, wherein said background display layer includes a liquid crystaldisplay.
 7. The flat display according to claim 1, wherein saidreflecting layer includes a film made of aluminum.
 8. A mobile radiotelephone comprising: a flat display including, a background displaylayer configured to be selectively changeable between a reflecting stateand a colored, non-reflecting state based on electrical control signals,the background display layer including, a display layer configured to beselectively changeable between a transparent state and a colored statewith the electrical control signals, and a reflecting layer, and aforeground display layer disposed over the background display andconfigured to be selectively changeable between a transparent state anda non-transparent state based on other electrical control signals; andan identification card configured to control a reflecting state of theflat display, wherein the reflecting state of the flat display isremotely controllable.
 9. The mobile radio telephone according to claim8, wherein the identification card includes an integrated processorconfigured to control the reflecting state of the flat display.
 10. Themobile radio telephone according to claim 8, wherein the reflectingstate of the flat display is remotely controllable by data messages. 11.The mobile radio telephone according to claim 8, further comprising:operating elements configured to control a reflecting state or anon-reflecting state of the display.
 12. The mobile radio telephoneaccording to claim 8, wherein the flat display is configured to bereflecting when the mobile radio telephone is switched off.